Steam locomotive-engine.



E. E. COTHRAN. STEAM LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE.

1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1915.

1,26 1, 1 04., Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

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showing from in front a part of the smoke- T FFIQQ EDWARD EVERETT COTIRAN, 0F WRIGHT, CALIFORNIA.

I STEAM LOGOMOTIVE-ENGINE.

menace.

of the fire tubes of the boiler to heat the cylinders with such gasesfrom such fire tubes by meansof pipes conducting such gases from suchfire tubes into jackets surrounding such cylinders and thencedischarging such gases from the jackets, with a draft produced by theexhaust steam, into the smoke-box 0f the engine; and the objects of myinvention are, first, to supply a constant and uniformly hightemperature to the cylinders; second, to prevent harmful condensation ofsteam in the cylinders during expansion and the strokes of the pistons;third, to minimize and compensate the present losses in the energy oflive steam caused by the radiation of heat and the cooling of the wallsof the cylinders; and, fourth, to save fuel and increase the efficiencyof steam in the engine.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through thesmoke-box of the steam locomotive engine, with part of cylinder jacketbroken Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section box, showing the position of asemi-circular pipe employed for conducting the hot waste gases from partof the fire tubes of the boiler into jackets that surround the cylindersof the engine.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1, 1 is the smoke-box of the steam locomotive engine; 2 are thefire tubes of the boiler; 3 is part of a pipe which is fully hereinafterdescribed also as 3 in Fig. 2; 4 is one of the cylinders of the engine;5 is one of the jackets which surround the cylinders; 6, 7 and 8 arebafiles constructed between each cylinder and jacket to prevent thewaste gases beingdrawn across the top of the cylinders and unequallyheating the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, rate.

Application filed July 20, 1915. Serial No. 40,922.

same; 9 is one of the exit pipes for the exit of the waste gases fromone of the jackets; 10 is the exit pipe for the exit of the waste gasesfrom the other jacket upon the opposite side of the engine; 11 is ajunction or union pipe, outside the smoke-box, of the two exit pipes 9and 10 and 12 is a sleeve constructed around the sides of the steamexhaust nozzle,13. Said junction or union pipe, 11, passes into thesmoke-box at the bottom and center of the barrel or shell of thesmoke-box, from the front-ends of the jackets, and leads to, and isterminated and expanded as the said sleeve, 12, that is constructedaround the sides of the steam exhaust nozzle, 13. 1 1 is a door that isconstructed at and inthe apex and forward curve of the pipe, 3, foropening or closing such pipe; said door being operated by a lever, 15,and a rod, 16, with a handle, 17, from the cab, and the purpose of thedoor is to enable the engineer to fully release directly into thesmoke-box all the waste gases of all the diverted fire tubes when theengine is idle or'when steam is being gotten up, so that the draft ofthe fire tubes will not be impairedat such times. The dotted lines at 18show the door, 14-, open; the arrows indicate the course of the wastegases from the diverted fire tubes through the pipes, jackets and sleeveexcept that the central arrow over the steam exhaust. nozzle, 13,indicates the course of the exhausting steam.

. In Fig. 2, 3 shows more clearly the shape and position of asemi-circular pipe and the points where part of the fire'tubes of theboiler are connected into it than is possible to be represented in. Fig.1, at 8.

In Fig. 2, said semi-circular pipe, 3, fol lows around the inner wall ofthe smoke-box to the positions where it pierces the smokebox on eachside thereof, and thence leads into the jackets at the crank-end of thejackets and cylinders, as shown in Fig. 1. Said semi-circular pipe, 3,Fig. 2, is shaped generally like the right and left steam pipes leadingfrom the T-pipe and is built be tween the lateral fire tubes and suchright and left steam pipes; and into this semicircular pipe, fire tubes,shown by 2 and .2, are diverted and connected. The number of fire tubesthus diverted and connected is not arbitrarily stated, but is simplyindicated, because in differently designed locomotive steam engines thenumber and diameter of fire tubes greatly vary, and I do not, hence,wish to be confined to the use of a specific number in the invention.

In Fig. 2, 14 is the door for opening and closing said semi-circularpipe, and this door and its purpose and operation have already beendescribed. The course of the W'EISiZG gases in the semi-circular pipe isindicated by the arrows in the latter figure.

The draft created by the action of the steam exhaust nozzle and thesleeve around such nozzle, as shown in Fig. 1, is absolutely necessaryto properly draw thewaste gases diverted from part of the fire tubes ofthe boiler into the jackets, and without the connection or combinationof the sleeve, nozzle, pipes, jackets and fire tubes which I havedescribed and shown, it is doubtful if the hot Waste gases could besuccessfully uitilized for heating the cylinders of a. steam locomotiveengine.

I am aware that prior to my invention, jackets surrounding the cylindersof steam engines have been made and that Waste gases have been used toheat the cylinders of stationary steam engines. I, therefore, do notclaim such a combination broadly; but

I claim:

1. In a steam locomotive engine, the combination of a semi-circularpipe, said semicircular pipe connected with and leading from part of thefire tubes of the boiler into jackets around the cylinders and whichse1nicircular pipe enters said jackets at the crank-end and top of saidjackets and cylinders, battles between said jackets and cylinders, apipe leading on each side of the engine from the front-end and top ofeach of said jackets into the smoke-box to the steam exhaust nozzleWhich pipes are there fitted and termiiia'tcd as a sleeve around thesides of the steam exhaust nozzle, substantially as described.

2. In a steam locomotive engine, a semicircular pipe constructed aroundthe inner wall of the smoke-box, theco'n'ne'ction of part of the lifetubes of the boiler into said semicircular pipe, the connection ofsaidsemicircular pipe into jackets that surround the cylinders at thecrank-end and top of said jackets and cylinders, baffles between saidjackets and cylinders, a pipe leading on each s de of the engine fromthe front-end and top of each of said ackets into a junction or unionpipe and which union pipe leads into the smoke-box to the steam exhaustnozzle and is there fitted and terminated as a'sleeve around the sidesof said exhaust nozzle, a door in said semi-circular pipe at the top 01said pipe and which door is operated from the cab of the engine by ahandle, rod and lever, substantially as described and shown.

EDWARD EVERETT GOTHRAN. Witnesses J osnrn H. Wyn-1n, CHARLES E. MOODY.

maples or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner or Patents.

Washington, D. 0;

